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TORONTO - The Raptors knocked down 10 of their first 12 shots, two days after missing 10 of their first 12 attempts. They reached the 100-point plateau for the fourth time in five games, bested the visiting Trail Blazers by 34 in the paint and scored 19 of the final 25 points in regulation. Despite all the aforementioned improvements over Fridays embarrassing defeat to the Bulls, they still picked up their seventh loss in 11 games to begin the season. The culprit of their demise on Sunday afternoon was the three-point shot. "Its tough when theyre knocking down shots like that," said Rudy Gay, after the Blazers went 15-for-32 from three-point range in their 118-110 overtime victory. "No matter how much we rotated, moved around and switched, its tough to [beat] that, when a team has it going like that." Portland entered the game fifth in three-point shooting at 41 per cent and its shooters were red-hot from start to finish. Four Blazers hit three or more treys and they outscored the Raptors, who shot 3-of-17, by 36 from beyond the arc. As a result, Portland extended its lead to as many as 17 before the home team cracked down on defence and Gay took over. Gay, who scored 30 points to go along with 10 rebounds in the game, engineered a 19-6 Raptors run to close out the fourth quarter. Gay had 10 points in that stretch, including the buzzer-beating lay-up that tied the game at 102 and forced overtime. It was his sixth go-ahead or game-tying basket in the final 10 seconds of the fourth quarter or overtime in the past four seasons, passing Carmelo Anthony for most in the league. "It was go-time," Gay said of the comeback that ultimately fell short in extra time. "Of course, the whole game you have to play like its go-time but when youre backs against the wall, you have to pick it up and find a way to get the win." In overtime, the three broke Torontos back again as Portland hit three of five attempts and held the Raptors to 2-of-12 shooting overall. Ball movement, or lack thereof Gay and DeMar DeRozan attempted 54 of Torontos 94 field goals - 27 each - but they combined for just three assists. Despite his game-high 30 points, Gay was held without an assist and despite Kyle Lowrys 10 dimes - to go along with 10 points - only three Raptors registered a helper. "We definitely want there to be movement," Casey acknowledged after the game. "We have out limitations from that standpoint but we want to move the ball, set screens [and] move the ball from side-to-side. Again, weve got to do a better job of that; thats where weve got to find ourselves offensively." Treading water A year ago, the Raptors dug themselves an insurmountable hole after a tumultuous early-season schedule got the best of them. By the time the schedule eased up and their fortunes began to turn, it was too late. Now, as they navigate through a similarly challenging start to the campaign, they thrive to avoid making that same mistake. "We want to make sure were at sea level when the schedule does balance out and not be so far behind that we cant catch up," Casey said Saturday following an afternoon practice. "We want to make sure were treading water and not get so far behind the eight ball while were trying to find out who we are." Fortunately for the Raptors, theyre not the only ones trying to find their identity early in the season. Heading into Sundays action, only four teams in the East (Indiana, Miami, Chicago, Atlanta) boasted records above .500, and at 4-7, Toronto finds itself in the thick of the Eastern Conference and just one game out of first in its division, where the Nets and Knicks are also struggling. "The league hasnt gone anywhere and thats what I tell our players," said Casey. 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Siddikur, who led on all four days and took a four-stroke lead going into the final day, bogeyed four out of six holes starting at the sixth and continued a forgettable last round in which he returned a three-over 75 to finish with a 14-under 274.VANCOUVER -- The Vancouver Canucks got a glimpse of their future on Tuesday night. Bo Horvat scored the winner and Hunter Shinkaruk added a goal and an assist as the Canucks defeated the San Jose Sharks 4-2 in a split-squad game that kicked off the pre-season for both clubs. Members of the Canucks 2013 draft class -- Horvat was taken ninth overall with the pick acquired in the Cory Schneider trade with the New Jersey Devils, while Shinkaruk was selected 15 spots later -- the 19-year-olds are in a battle for a job with the Canucks, and each showed a willingness to go to the dirty areas on the ice on their goals. "I try to go to the net as much as I can. It was definitely nice to get that one," said Horvat, who banged home his goal at 11:33 of the third. "You always want to help your team offensively. Ive been getting points all my life. To finally get on the board and finally score a goal in NHL pre-season is definitely special and something I wont forget." Shinkaruk, meanwhile, also swatted home a loose puck to give Vancouver a brief 2-1 lead late in the second. "Youve just got to play your game. At the end of the day its going to be what its going to be. Im just trying to come in here every day and prove to the brass that I can play," said Shinkaruk. "Thats what I feel I made a step towards tonight. "This is a once-in-a lifetime opportunity for a 19-year-old and Im just trying to enjoy it." And with good reason. Shinkaruk missed most of last season after undergoing hip surgery, but has fully recovered to try to make a splash with the Canucks at his second training camp. "It was really nice mentally for me. I knew that I felt really good coming into the game," he said. "There was a lot that I had to go through, a lot that my family had to go through, last year. I felt good tonight." Canucks assistant coach Doug Lidster said both Horvat and Shinkaruk settled into the game after some early nerves. "Theyre getting stronger every day, and thats what you would expect from a young guy," he said. "I thought that as the game wore on they got a little bit more comfortable out there and they showed what theyre capable of." Jordan Subban gave the Canucks an early lead, while Linden Vey -- who like Horvat and Shinkaruk is in a fight for a forward spot with the Canucks after coming over in a trade with the Los Angeles Kings in June -- added an empty-net goal with under a minute to go after chipping in with two assists. "You cant worry about offence. I think when youre playing well things like that happen," said the 23-year-old. "You dont go into a game worrying about points or goals or anything like that. You want to just go out there and play a solid game." Vey would appear to be ahead of Horvat and Shinkaruk in the pecking order, and Lidster said the Canucks want a battle for spots. "He had a good game tonight and if he continues to do that, thats certainly going to be good for him," he said. "We want competition on the team. We want guys to step up and play hard and make tough decisions and he did that tonight." Canucks captain Henrik Sedin said its exciting to see players battle for spots in training camp. "Its great. I think every year they come in and they keep getting better," he said. "A lot of times in camp theres talk about one guy making tthe team.ddddddddddddThis year theres a lot of guys that can come in and make a difference for us." Another storyline for the Canucks was Radim Vrbata playing his first game with Henrik and Daniel Sedin on the top line. The trio had some chances and looked dangerous as they continue to try to develop chemistry. "First game after a long time for everybody -- its always tough," said Vrbata, who signed a two-year deal in the off-season. "I thought we had some good shifts and some good looks on the power play. Unfortunately nothing went in but I think we can build from here." Patrick Marleau had a goal and an assist for San Jose, while Brent Burns also scored as the Sharks outshot the Canucks 34-20. Eddie Lack started for Vancouver and stopped all 16 shots he faced before being replaced midway through the second by Joe Cannata, who also finished with 16 saves. Alex Stalock made 15 stops for San Jose. Canucks head coach Willie Desjardins was not in Vancouver for Tuesdays game and instead travelled to Stockton, Calif., for the other split-squad game between the two clubs, which San Jose took 5-2. The 6 p.m. local time start in Vancouver meant that Rogers Arena looked about half empty at puck drop, but many fans also appear to be taking a wait-and-see approach with the team under new president Trevor Linden as the Canucks look to rebound in 2014-15 after missing the playoffs for the first time in six years. After Subban scored in the first period for Vancouver, San Jose tied it at 16:07 of the second when Burns ripped a shot past Cannata on the power play off a Marleau feed. Shinkaruk restored the Vancouver advantage just 50 seconds later, but the Sharks got right back on even terms 1:03 after that when Canucks forward Derek Dorsett turned the puck over in the neutral zone to Marleau, who moved in alone and beat Cannata. Notes: Lidster ran the Vancouver bench along with fellow assistant Glen Gulutzan in Desjardins absence. ... The Canucks visit the Calgary Flames on Thursday before the two teams meet again on Friday at Rogers Arena. ... Canucks defenceman Alexander Edler left the game in the first period after taking a puck in the face. ... Sharks centre Logan Couture left the game in the second but the team said it was just a precaution. -- STOCKTON, Calif. -- Joe Thornton scored two goals, and Nikolay Goldobin and Barclay Goodrow each had a goal and an assist to lead the San Jose Sharks to a 5-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks in a split-squad preseason matchup Tuesday night. The Sharks gave the crowd plenty to cheer about in their first game in Stockton. San Jose dominated and outshot Vancouver 34-12. Thornton began a three-goal flurry by the Sharks in the second period, rushing the net to beat goalie Jakob Markstrom. He also scored San Joses final goal midway through the third. Goldobin, San Joses first-round pick in this years draft, completed San Joses second-period run by beating goalie Joacim Eriksson with a slick wraparound. Goodrow was set up by Goldobin eight minutes earlier, sending Markstrom, to the bench. Joe Pavelski, San Joses leading scorer last season, also had a goal. Dylan DeMelo had an assist on each of the Sharks final two goals. Nick Bonino and Nicklas Jensen scored for Vancouver against Troy Grosenick in the third period. Jensen assisted on Boninos goal. ' ' '